For the first time, India has elected a PM born after Independence says Narendra Modi at Varanasi rally

A day after he led the BJP to an unprecedented triumph in the parliamentary polls, Narendra Modi, set to be India's next prime minister, Saturday undertook victory laps in Delhi and Varanasi, the second Lok Sabha seat he has won, and taunted Congress over its historical loss.

A sea of supporters waved Bharatiya Janata Party flags, blew conches, beat drums, danced and shouted slogans as soon as the Gujurat chief minister stepped out of the Delhi airport after flying in from his state. The celebrations continued all through the long route to the party office.

Besides BJP president Rajnath Singh, the seven newly-elected party MPs from Delhi were among those who received Modi, visiting Delhi a day after the announcement of the Lok Sabha results.

His tone and expressions much more relaxed than what was witnessed during his over 400 rallies during the poll campaign, Modi dedicated the party's thumping victory in the Lok Sabha polls to the "generations of loyal party workers" as he reached party's national headquarters at 11, Ashoka Road in central Delhi

The first political reference in his speech came only late in the evening in the Hindu holy city of Varanasi, when he took a jibe at Congress for its pathetic loss, as it was limited to 44 Lok Sabha seats.

"We have heard about coalitions to form government but now we have a situation where they need alliance for opposition," Modi said in Varanasi after he offered prayers at Kashi Vishwanath Temple, referring to the party's unprecedented, poor show.

In New Delhi, the BJP office was converted in a fortress, but it could do little to keep the party workers and supporters away who kept gathering outside the premise, dancing to the tune of bands playing on the cordoned, decorated road.

In a message of peace, Modi released a bunch of white balloons here, as rose petals were showered in welcome.

Modi attended a meeting of party's parliamentary board of the party, which decided to meet May 20 to formally elect him as its leader.

"It is a mere formality, there is no need to tell who will be elected," Rajnath Singh said after the meeting, which was attended by veteran party leader L.K. Advani, Sushma Swaraj, Murli Manohar Joshi, Arun Jaitley, M. Venkaiah Naidu, and Amit Shah along with others.

The BJP president also said after the meeting, they would call a meeting of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) allies. He also said that they have not yet finalised a date for the swearing-in ceremony for Modi or his cabinet. Modi then left for Varanasi, the second Lok Sabha seat he won along with Vadodara. In the holy city, where he defeated Aam Aadmi Party's Arvind Kejriwal and Congress' Ajay Rai, Modi performed a ritualistic 'puja' at the Vishwanath temple, one of the most pious Shiva temples. He then participated in a Ganga arti at the bank of the river, holy for Hindus.

"I was stopped from speaking to my people in Varanasi. In spite of that, people voted for me. They put a stamp on my silence," he said in an indirect reference to the Election Commission which had stopped him from holding a rally in a Beniyabagh, a Muslim dominated area, on security grounds.

Modi also promised to clean up the holy city. "By 2019, when we celebrate the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, we should have cleaned up the country," Modi said on the banks of the river. BJP became the first non-Congress party since Independence in 1947 to win a comfortable majority on its own in the 545-member Lok Sabha.

* This campaign was marred with each side blaming the each other for problems, but no real issues were addressed. We tried to get votes on issues but failed. I have never seen anything like this in my entire political career,says Nitish Kumar, To break away from the BJP was a correct decision which was taken on the basis of our principles, he added.

* I'm taking the moral responsibility of the losses we bore this elections., says Nitish Kumar

* We want fresh elections and seek a new mandate, that is why this step was taken, says KC Tyagi of JD(U) on Nitish Kumar resignation

* "He resigned on moral grounds. It's ok, it's his way of politcs. Should not be criticised, says Congress; Shakeel Ahmed on Nitish Kumar resignations

* After the debacle of JD(U) in the Lok Sabha Elections yesterday and the BJP-LJP alliance's sweeping win, Bihar Chief minister Nitish Kumar has resigned from his post and recommended dissolution of the state assembly. Kumar, who at one point was seen as challenge to Narendra Modi's prime ministerial ambition, has been facing internal revolt with growing number of party members speaking out against him. Read more

* Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Vice President Rahul Gandhi may offer their resignations, in order to take responsibility for the party's defeat this Lok Sabha elections, reports suggest.

* Thousands of BJP supporters gave a rousing welcome Saturday to Narendra Modi, set to be India's prime minister, as he flew into Delhi and set out in a motorcade to the party headquarters. A sea of supporters waved BJP flags, blew conches, beat drums, danced and shouted slogans as soon as Modi stepped out of the airport after flying in from Gujarat. The celebrations continued all through the long route. Read more

* The credit for this win goes to people of India, generations of our Karyakartas who worked tirelessly, Modi said. Read More

* I thank you for the warm welcome from the airport till here. says Modi

* With Narendra Modi set to hold a roadshow in the national capital today after scripting a historic win in the Lok Sabha polls, a multi-layer security cover has been put in place in the city with hundreds of policemen and NSG commandos deployed. Read more

BJP leader Narendra Modi registered a sweeping victory from his constituencies in Vadodara and Varanasi in the Lok Sabha elections of 2014, allowing him to become the next prime minister of the nation.

The BJP had won or 285 seats in parliamen comfortably across the halfway mark of 272 required to rule. An alliance led by the party was ahead in 338 seats. For the first time in 25 years a single party has emerged the majority party in the Lok Sabha. The BJP has secured as much as 285 seats in the Lok Sabha this election - the highest ever secured by the BJP in any general election so far. Even though the BJP has expressed that it is open to all alliances, the number of seats indicate that they could be ruling the government all by themselves.

Modi's landslide victory was welcomed with a blistering rally on India's stock markets and raucous celebrations at offices across the country of his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), where supporters danced, exploded fireworks and gave out sweets.

Modi will visit Delhi today, for BJP parliamentary board meeting and victory roadshows, even as the outgoing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh look over his last cabinet meeting before abdicating the seat

Here's what is planned for his day ahead:10 am: Modi will reach Delhi's IGI Airport. His roadshow to start from Dhaula Kuan with senior BJP leaders, supporters. The roadshow will end at BJP's office in Ashoka Road. 12 noon: Modi's felicitation at BJP office in Delhi. BJP Parliamentary board meeting to follow. 3 pm: Modi will arrive in Varanasi. Modi will visit Sankat Mochan Temple, Kashi Vishwanath Temple and Ganga Arti followed by a rally at Daswamedh Ghat.7 pm: Modi will leave Varanasi for Ahmedabad.